Three Lives
by Nynaeve80
Summary: The story of Ron, Hermione, and Blaise and how one little thing always seems to alter the course of their lives...


**Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter. This is just a little one-shot that popped into my head. Enjoy!**

* * *

Ron's POV

Quidditch had ruined his life. Seriously.

It had all started in his first year when his best friend, Harry Potter, was named Seeker for the Gryffindor _Quidditch _team. Even though Harry seemed to outdo Ron at practically everything, he had been confidently sure he could beat Harry at Quidditch. Harry didn't even know he was a wizard until that year, and his knew absolutely nothing about Quidditch. Ron had already planned to try out during his third year, assuming he hit a growth spurt before then. Things didn't _exactly _go as planned however…instead of Ron becoming the famous _Quidditch _champion, Harry becomes the youngest Seeker ever for Gryffindor, pushing Ron further into the shadows.

Things failed to improve during his fourth year when he had finally admitted to himself that he was falling in love with Hermione Granger. Unfortunately, he realized this fact a little too late, and she was snatched up by none other than Viktor Krum. Yes, _the _Viktor Krum, world-famous BulgarianSeeker. Instead of having his best friend on his arm at the Yule Ball, he had to sit back and watch while she danced nearly every dance with the legendary _Quidditch _star from Durmstrang.

During his seventh year, he had wanted to make a move again, seeing as how they were both free at the time, but he became _Quidditch _captain instead. Four-hour long _Quidditch _practices and all-night strategy meetings soon became the core of his existence. It took up nearly every free moment of his time, but he couldn't bear to let Professor McGonagall down. Harry had been captain the year before, so naturally, he was expectedto do as well as him. Luckily, Gryffindor _did_ manage to win the Quidditch cup, but he never found the time to ask Hermione for a date.

As soon as they graduated, he had decided to try out for a professional _Quidditch_ league. He had secretly been thrilled when Harry opted to become an Auror instead, knowing he could find shine all by himself. He made the team, although he was only a reserve player. After 3 years of devoting himself solely to _Quidditch_, he was let go by Puddlemere United. It had been a devastating blow, to both his bank account and his ego. It hurt even worse to realize he _still _hadn't told Hermione how he felt about her after 3 long years.

Now, a year later he was an Auror for the Ministry, and he loved his job despite the enormous shadow cast by his raven-haired friend. It was demanding, of course, but also extremely rewarding. His life had been going so well the past few months, in fact, that he was reasonably sure the Quidditch curse had left him for good. That was, until last night…

Harry had invited over several of their former Gryffindor classmates for a bit of reminiscing and, of course, a little drinking, too. They had naturally chosen his house to gather in, seeing as how it was by far the largest between them. Ron knew his modest, two-bedroom flat was nothing to sneeze at, but like most things in his life, it couldn't compare to what Harry had. Naturally, _Quidditch _was one of the topics discussed, and Ron participated openly, feeling at the time that his curse was merely a figment of his childish imagination. It was after the Quidditch discussion that the drinking took place, and they eventually decided to go to a Muggle club for the evening. Hermione and Dean had declared Muggle dancing superior to the Wizarding style, so naturally everyone else went with the goal of proving them wrong.

When they got to the club, he immediately noticed that the Muggles were, in fact, dancing in a way he had never imagined. While the Wizarding style was a little more subdued, the Muggle style was much more…provocative. Hermione had looked so beautiful that night, with her hair pulled back and a cute little dress on. He had been eyeing her all evening, and it felt like tonight was the night to make his feelings known. He opened his mouth to ask her to dance, but he heard Seamus say something about the latest _Quidditch _scoreNot wanting to appear rude, he asked for the score, which Seamus gave him proudly seeing as how his team won, and then he turned back around to ask Hermione to dance…

…what he saw was an empty seat. Dean Thomas had beat him to the punch, and he was now dancing with Hermione. The way they were dancing seemed outrageous, but he forcibly reminded himself that _he _would be dancing with her next, so there was no need to worry. Mercifully, the song wasn't that long and he watched as Dean and Hermione made their way back to the booth, laughing the whole way. He could tell there wasn't anything romantic between them, but he was still anxious to finally make his move.

His friends gathered around him were cheering and clapping at the two Gryffindors dancing. Ron noted with a smile that Hermione was blushing from all the attention, which only served to make her even more beautiful. Just as Hermione sat down, Oliver Wood, former _Quidditch _player, asked him if he had heard about the Chudley Cannons' new Seeker. Since the Cannons were his all-time favorite team, he figured it wouldn't hurt to find out who the new player was before he went to dance…_wrong. _

By the time he turned back around a second time, Hermione was already on the dance floor with a tall, dark-haired bloke that looked vaguely familiar to him. A few moments later, he found out why – the stranger in question turned out to be none other than Blaise Zabini, a former Slytherin that graduated in their year. Blaise also happened to be on the Verona _Quidditch _team. While Hermione's dancing with Dean had been more friendly, her dancing with Blaise was decidedly more flirtatious.

When Blaises's hand had grazed Hermione's backside, Ron felt sure she would at least yell at him. He understood why she might be hesitant to hex him since it was a Muggle club, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why Hermione _smiled _at Blaise. She actually _smiled _at being groped by the ape! Much to his disgust, Blaise not only came back to their table, but everyone seemed rather happy about the occurrence. Although he didn't apparate to her flat to confirm, Ron was fairly certain Blaise ended up staying the night with Hermione.

In the span of two hours, Blaise Zabini, _Quidditch _star, had swooped in and stolen the heart of his love….all because of bloody _Quidditch. _

* * *

Hermione's POV

Dancing had changed her life. Seriously.

At the tender age of eleven, she had been practicing for her upcoming ballet recital when she received the letter that would change her life forever…her letter from Hogwarts. As she stood in her ballet tights and tutu, she eagerly read over her letter stating she was accepted into the finest school of Wizarding and Witchcraft. Although dancing was soon forgotten once she made the discovery she was a witch, to this day she still couldn't see a pair of ballet slippers without fondly remembering that moment.

Finding out she was a witch was a tremendous turning point in her life, and her next life-altering moment occurred when she was in her fourth year. Although she was quite aware that she was of the female species, it seemed her male counterparts only viewed her as a sexless bookworm…that is, until the Yule Ball. That night, she spent hours _dancing _with none other than the handsome Viktor Krum, world-famous Quidditch player. He was a magnificent dancer, despite his awkward gait at times, and nearly every eye in the room had been glued to them. While she and Viktor never became more than friends, that night alone had transformed her image in the minds of others. She was officially Hermione Granger…_girl. _

Once she graduated from Hogwarts, she found herself at a loss on what career to choose. Her scores gave her various options, none of which had tickled her fancy. The night after graduation, there was an enormous party for all the graduates and their respective families. Hermione was reluctant to attend since her parents couldn't for obvious reasons, but she found herself dragged along by enthusiastic revelers (e.g. Parvati and Lavender). Instead of keeping to herself at the party, she decided to let loose a little and ended up having a fantastic time…

She had been asked to dance, yet again, by a boy in Ravenclaw. It appeared several seventh year Ravenclaws had a bit of a crush on her, although none of them had the nerve to do anything about it until that night. However, as she was stepping off the dance floor, she happened to bump into a woman from the ministry. Of course, it wasn't just _some woman, _it was Bethany Rochester, _the _Department Head for Muggle Relations. Two hours and a few drinks later, Hermione found herself with a career and a new friend in the Ministry.

Then, nearly four years later, she had gone over to Harry's house for one of his 'reunions.' Growing up without a family had made an indelible mark on him, and he had been persistent in keeping in touch with close friends from school. Despite her teasing him about it, she appreciated the gesture and never missed a 'reunion.' On this particular occasion, they had eventually made their way to a club for a bit of dancing. Dean Thomas, another Muggleborn in her year in Gryffindor, and she both had been to numerous Muggle clubs, and preferred them over the Wizarding counterparts. When they expressed their sentiments to the group, their friends' Wizarding pride prompted them to immediately suggest a Muggle club for a test run.

As soon as they entered the club, Hermione and Dean began laughing at some of the shocked expressions on their friends' faces, most notably Ron's. After she and Dean had put on a little show for their friends, they headed back to their table, earning a round of applause for their efforts. As she sat down, she happened to glance to her right and found none other than Blaise Zabini staring back at her. Blaise had been an excellent student in school, and a fairly good friend as well, despite being in Slytherin; however, she was nearly shocked when he approached her.

"Hermione Granger? I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm Blaise Zabini, from Hogwarts," he said smoothly as he brought her hand to his lips. Lips, which she now remembered, that looked incredibly kissable at that moment.

"Of course," Hermione replied, butterflies fluttering in her stomach, "I remember you. How have you been, Blaise?"

"Quite well," he responded, his smoldering blue eyes boring into her. "Would you care to dance? I'm afraid I'm not quite as talented as your previous partner, but I can assure you I will be a willing student if you're the teacher."

Hermione only had to take one look at the handsome bloke to make up her mind. She accepted shyly as he slowly led her to the dance floor where he proved himself to be quite the dancer. He was so talented, in fact, that he inadvertently created yet another turning point in her life – she fell in love with Blaise Zabini while dancing in a Muggle club. Looking back, the idea almost seemed too preposterous to imagine! Blaise, a pureblood Slytherin, and she, a Muggleborn Gryffindor, founnd love in a London Muggle dance club….Rita Skeeter had an absolute field day when the story came out!

Now, here she was, only two short months later, dancing with her newlywed husband at their wedding. He had looked incredibly dashing in his new dress robes, and she felt unbelievably lucky to be the woman in his arms. The entire wedding was done in blue. The bride and groom weren't quite able to let go of their house colors, so they chose the neutral Ravenclaw color instead. Their friends had often joked that the two of them should have ended up in Ravenclaw anyway, so it seemed like a natural choice at the time. Glancing around at the smiling faces of her friends and family, she realized yet again, her latest life-altering moment had occurred while she was dancing…this time, with the love of her life.

* * *

Blaise's POV

Gambling had saved his life. Seriously.

He had never been a betting man, even during his formative teenage years at Hogwarts. While other Slytherins, especially Draco Malfoy, seemed to thrive on placing bet after bet on any number of events, he preferred to lead a low-risk existence. He enjoyed being in the background, not wanting to take the chance of putting himself out there for all to ridicule. Perhaps it was cowardice or a sense of pride that was responsible for it, but he had never gambled…until that night.

He had been staying with a teammate of his in London during the off season. Quidditch had just ended, and he needed a break from his hectic life in Verona. Since he was on the road the majority of the time, his flat in Verona barely contained the necessities for him to live. He had led a lonely existence outside of Quidditch, and he knew he was in danger of letting his life slip by unnoticed. He decided to take up his teammate's offer and stay in London for a few months. He was taking a chance, albeit a small one, and he was ever so glad he did.

As usual, his teammate Henri wanted to make a bet with him. He was constantly urging Blaise to make a bet on everything from Quidditch matches to potential relationships. Blaise had always turned him down before, but for some reason, he took a gamble that night. Henri, a half-blood, bet Blaise that he wouldn't go into a Muggle dance club and pick up a Muggle girl. The bet was ten galleons, a paltry sum, but Blaise knew it was more about bragging rights than money.

Now, contrary to popular belief, Blaise had absolutely nothing against Muggles. Yes, he was a pureblood, and yes, he was in Slytherin; however, he had met many Muggleborn witches and wizards, and if anything, they seemed to be more well-adjusted than most purebloods. He had never really voiced his opinion on the matter, though, and so it was naturally assumed he was prejudiced. Deciding he would clear the air on that particular subject once and for all, he took Henri up on his offer. In the back of his mind, he secretly hoped he might find something more than just a one-night stand, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

When they got to the Muggle club, Blaise was astounded by how different the dancing was here. Henri merely laughed at his gaping mouth, claiming with pride that he only attended Muggle clubs now since the dances were more _primitive_. He merely shook his head as he followed his friend to a table near the back. He rose to get a drink from the bar when his eyes spotted a familiar girl dancing on the floor. He walked a little closer, and to his surprise, he found Hermione Granger, former brain of Gryffindor, in the arms of a black-haired boy. Unless he was mistaken, the boy's name was Don or Dean, and he, like Hermione, was Muggleborn.

He stood in his tracks, fascinated by their movements. Hermione was an exceptional dancer, something he had never known. He had always admired her in school, even though the house differences prevented him from ever saying so. She was intelligent, kind, and compassionate to a fault. Now, seeing her dance with her body swaying seductively back and forth, he decided to add _sexy _to the list of adjectives as well. When the dance ended, he was pleasantly surprised to see Hermione and Dean immediately separate, giving each other a friendly grin. When they reached their table, he saw Don or Dean place his arm around a red-headed girl who was smiling.

He didn't know why he did it. Looking back, he wasn't sure if he acted on instinct or just hormone-induced stupidity. Regardless, when he saw that Hermione clearly wasn't romantically involved with Dean, he marched himself right over to her table to ask her to dance. The table was full of former Gryffindors, none of whom had been fond of Slytherins. It was a definite risk, asking her to dance in front of her friends. It would be humiliating if she rejected him, especially with her reputed wit and temper, but instead her response was 'Yes'.

He could still see her smiling up at him now, her eyes full of surprise and dare he hoped, excitement. He grabbed her hand and led her slowly to the dance floor. Although he was rather inexperienced with Muggle dancing, he felt sure she could teach him. When he leaned to whisper in her ear, she shuddered slightly as she nodded her head. Smiling to himself, Blaise spent the next few minutes with his body pressed against the girl of his dreams. When the dance ended, he wasted no time starting a conversation which, with any luck, would keep her near him. "I'd invite you back to my table, but I'm afraid your Gryffindor friends would hex me for taking you away," he said apologetically.

She had merely laughed and invited him to join _her _table instead. Naturally, this was _exactly _what he was hoping for, though he didn't want to appear too eager. "Are you sure they won't mind? After all, I _am _a former Slytherin," he had said with a smirk befitting his house.

"They won't mind," she had said with a warm smile that had his heart racing. "After all, haven't you heard that saying – 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'?"

"Why, Miss Granger, what a perfectly Slytherin thing to say!" he had exclaimed mockingly, thrilled beyond belief when he heard her laugh.

They had spent the rest of the evening together, laughing, talking, and enjoying each other's company. Surprisingly, the other Gryffindors accepted him without pause…except for Ron Weasley. He seemed to be shooting death glares at him, but Blaise was pretty sure it had more to do with his arm being around Hermione and less to do with him being a Slytherin. Regardless, it didn't stop Blaise from asking Hermione out the next evening…and the next…and the next.

Three weeks into their relationship, he had purchased a wedding ring. If someone had told him he would be asking for Hermione Granger's hand in marriage after less than a month of dating her, he would have thought they belonged in St. Mungo's. Instead, he found himself again out of his comfort zone, and again taking a risk. The following week, he took yet another gamble and asked her to become his wife. Instead of returning to a lonely flat in Verona, he found himself purchasing a brand-new villa for his new family.

Although gambling had saved his life in the end, he had done surprisingly little of it since the night Hermione agreed to marry him. It would seem strange to an outsider, of course, but it made perfect sense to him. After all, he mused as he watched the love of his life cooing at their newborn son, why would he continue gambling when he hit the jackpot his first time out?


End file.
